Polar Bear Swim

More than 2,000 people are expected to doff their winter bathing suits and brave the icy waters of English Bay to celebrate the New Year. Thousands more will be on the beach, urging them on. Costumes are encouraged. This year, a couple of “swim tips” are offered, courtesy of vancouver.ca/parks. No. 4 may be of interest — “Do not drink; alcohol does not warm you up, it accelerates hypothermia” — while No. 5 seems an understated life saver. “Do not stay in the water longer than 15 minutes. Body heat is lost 25 times faster in water than in air.” According to healthlinkbc.ca, swimmers risk unconsciousness in just 15 to 30 minutes in water cooler than 10°C. English Bay is 7.8°C.

Michael Blake’s Holiday Soul Party

The New York-based saxophonist returns home to host a swinging party, backed by Vancouver’s own Greasy G and the Poole Party (Chris Gestrin, keys, Joe Poole, drums, and Jack Duncan, congas). Blake played with the Lounge Lizards in the early 1990s, and has since earned a reputation for solo albums that “make the familiar sound fresh” (Downbeat). That statement couldn’t apply better than to Blake’s new release Red Hook Soul, a cool bag of finger-snapping originals and new arrangements of classics by Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Lana Del Ray and others.

VSO: Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert

After 20 years, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s annual re-creation of Vienna’s world-famous New Year’s concert is as much a holiday tradition as the Polar Bear Swim. And so much warmer. This year’s event features the Strauss Symphony of Canada, which includes members of the VSO and Vancouver Opera Orchestra, performing lively and at the same time nostalgic music from the Strauss family and its contemporaries under the guidance of Viennese conductor Michael Zehetner. Acclaimed European singers, along with some of the world’s best ballroom and ballet dancers add to the pageantry.

Henry Rollins

The outspoken former leader of punk icons Black Flag has become quite the jack of all trades. He’s acted in a television series and show, hosted his own TV show, written several books, pens a regular column for LA Weekly and DJs a chat show from his Santa Monica home. But his biggest thrill is live performance. Rollin calls his act simply, “a talking show;” others have described it as “standup comedy with a thesis statement.” Topics Rollins knows well: music and the music industry, travel and politics.

Mary Poppins

Once again, demand for tickets to Arts Club’s production of the beloved musical has resulted in an extended run. Both its 2013 debut and 2014’s remount were held over as well. Featuring fabulous dance numbers and sets that look like they’ve been pulled directly from children’s pop-up books, the play remains faithful to P.L. Travers’s stories, while the score is pure Disney. New to role this year, Toronto’s Kayla James is fabulous as the quirky nanny who flies courtesy of an umbrella.

During the holidays at Burnaby Village Museum, watch cookies being made the old-fashioned way (samples don’t last long).

Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum

One of the area’s attractions that just gets better for the holidays, and it’s free. A replica of a village street from the 1900s — featuring stores brimming with vintage wares, a barber shop, theatre, and lovely, antique-filled homes — features thousands of lights and old-fashioned decorations, plus traditional entertainment (by the likes of Arnt Arntzen, Twelve Strings of Christmas, Renee Sanchez, and magician Ray Wong), a scavenger hunt, and crafts.

The Strombo Show presents Hip 30

Radio shows have never been covered in What’s On, but there’s never been a show like this. During an extra long four-hour Strombo Show scores of bands and artists pay tribute to the Tragically Hip. Arkells, Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, Cowboy Junkies, Rheostatics, the Sadies, the Trews, the Dears, Death From Above 1979, Hannah Georgas, The Pack A.D., Said The Whale and many others will perform favourite Hip songs, while conversations will take place with Rush, Daniel Lanois, Atom Egoyan and others.

This Week's Flyers

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